Muscle Protein SynthesisNCT05876299
The Anabolic Properties of a Lipid-rich Pork Matrix
A study testing 95.1% Lean Pork, 81.16% Lean Pork and Carbohydrate Beverage in people with Muscle Protein Synthesis, run by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The amount and quality of skeletal muscle mass determines physical performance, but also a significant contributor to metabolic health. As such, the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is relevant across the lifespan to remain active in family and community life. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 50 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Muscle Protein Synthesis
- What is being tested?
- 95.1% Lean Pork, 81.16% Lean Pork and Carbohydrate Beverage
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 16 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Jul 2023to 9 Apr 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 50 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 20-50 yrs
- Pre-menopausal
- Recreationally active
- Weight stable for prior 6 months
Who cannot join
- Age outside of range (20 - 50 yrs)
- Pregnancy
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Participation in previous research using [13C6]phenylalanine
- Participation in other ongoing research that interferes with this study (e.g., conflicting diet, activity interventions, etc.)
- Any hospitalization or surgery for a metabolic, cardiovascular, or neuromusculoskeletal complication within the past year
Show all 27Show fewer
- Allergy or hypersensitivity to local anesthetics, latex, or adhesives (bandages, medical tape, etc.)
- Excess scarring after injury
- History of excess bleeding after cut
- Chronic or frequent dizziness/fainting, and arm or leg weakness/numbness
- Arthritis
- Tumors
- Mental Illness
- Hepatorenal, cardiovascular musculoskeletal, autoimmune, or neurological disease or disorder
- Predisposition to hypertrophic scarring or keloid formation
- Physical activity limitations
- Consumption of ergogenic-levels of dietary supplements that may affect muscle mass (e.g., creatine, HMB), insulin-like substances, or anabolic/catabolic pro-hormones (e.g., DHEA) within 6 weeks prior to participation
- Consumption of thyroid, androgenic, or other medications known to affect endocrine function
- Consumption of medications known to affect protein metabolism (e.g., prescription-strength corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or acne medication)
- Unwillingness to comply with study procedures
- Weight unstable (variation >5% of bodyweight in last 6-12 months)
- Current or previous tobacco use with last 6 months
- Obesity (body mass index; BMI > 30 kg/m^2)
- Score of less than 14 or greater than 24 on Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire
- Phenylketonuria
- Anyone hospitalized previously for COVID-19 without a cardiovascular workup screening for cardiovascular issues post-infection
- Anyone recovering from COVID-19 infection within the preceding 10 days
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Louise Freer Hall (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
Urbana, Illinois, 61801
About this study
The amount and quality of skeletal muscle mass determines physical performance, but also a significant contributor to metabolic health. As such, the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is relevant across the lifespan to remain active in family and community life. Food ingestion, particularly protein, is one of the main anabolic to skeletal muscle tissue by stimulating muscle protein synthesis rates. There have been multiple attempts to identify specialized performance nutrition products (e.g., various isolated protein powders) to maximize the anabolic properties of dietary protein on muscle. Our research group, however, has advocated for a food focus approach to meet dietary protein requirements. Particularly, we propose that whole foods demonstrate food matrix effects (nutrient-nutrient interactions) that creates a greater anabolic action on muscle beyond what amino acids can create alone. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the anabolic properties of consuming lipid-rich pork products when compared to their leaner counter-parts. Our working hypothesis that the ingestion of 84% or 96% lean ground pork condition will stimulate a greater increase in muscle protein synthesis rates compared to an isocaloric carbohydrate beverage in healthy adults. We further hypothesize that the ingestion of 84% lean pork will augment the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis rates to a greater extent than 96% lean ground pork. To achieve our objective, we will recruit 15 healthy men and women (20-50 y) to receive prime-constant infusions to directly measure muscle protein synthesis rates before and after treatment ingestion using our lab's established methods.
- Conditions
- Muscle Protein Synthesis
- Being tested
- 95.1% Lean Pork, 81.16% Lean Pork, Carbohydrate Beverage
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
95.1% Lean PorkOther
This intervention will contain 120 kcals, 4.4 g fat, and 20 g protein from low-fat ground pork.
81.16% Lean PorkOther
This intervention will contain 266 kcals, 20.6 g fat, and 20 g protein from high-fat ground pork.
Carbohydrate BeverageOther
This intervention will contain 266 kcals and 73.3 g carbohydrate from a carbohydrate beverage.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Low-Fat Pork | Active comparator | This condition will consist of consuming 90.2 g of low-fat (4.90% crude fat) ground pork. Receives: Other: 95.1% Lean Pork |
| High-Fat Pork | Experimental | This condition will consist of consuming 109.6 g of high-fat (18.84% crude fat) ground pork. Receives: Other: 81.16% Lean Pork |
| Carbohydrate Control | Placebo comparator | This condition will consist of a carbohydrate beverage. Receives: Other: Carbohydrate Beverage |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Myofibrillar Fractional Synthetic Rate
Rate of building new protein in skeletal muscle contractile protein
Measured: During 5-hour post-prandial period following consumption of the study meal or beverage
Secondary outcomes (4)
Plasma Amino Acid Concentration
Concentration of amino acids in plasma as determined by LC/MS/MS
Measured: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Free Fatty Acid Concentration
Concentration of amino acids in plasma as determined by GC-MS
Measured: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Insulin Concentration
Concentration of insulin in plasma as determined by commercially-available ELISA kits
Measured: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Glucose Concentration
Concentration of glucose in plasma as determined by an automated biochemistry analyzer (YSI)
Measured: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted25 May 2023
- Study start15 Jul 2023
- Primary completion9 Apr 2024
- Study completion9 Apr 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Muscle Protein SynthesisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- This study will employ a semi-crossover model whereby participants will complete 2 of 3 conditions, each.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Nicholas A Burd, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05876299
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 23257
- Status last verified
- Jul 2025
- First submitted
- 16 May 2023
- Last updated
- 16 Jul 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Zupancic Z, Askow AT, Barnes TM, Deutz MT, Ulanov AV, Dilger RN, Dilger AC, Willard JW, Mackenzie RW, Harseim JE, Hernandez-Saavedra D, Burd NA. Ingestion of a lipid-rich meat matrix blunts the postexercise increase of myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025 Nov;122(5):1252-1264. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.09.001. Epub 2025 Sep 7.
PubMed 40925524
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jul 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Anabolic Properties of a Lipid-rich Pork Matrix
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05876299
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 23257
- Conditions
- Muscle Protein Synthesis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Jul 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 9 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 9 Apr 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 25 May 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The amount and quality of skeletal muscle mass determines physical performance, but also a significant contributor to metabolic health. As such, the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is relevant across the lifespan to remain active in family and community life. Food ingestion, particularly protein, is one of the main anabolic to skeletal muscle tissue by stimulating muscle protein synthesis rates. There have been multiple attempts to identify specialized performance nutrition products (e.g., various isolated protein powders) to maximize the anabolic properties of dietary protein on muscle. Our research group, however, has advocated for a food focus approach to meet dietary protein requirements. Particularly, we propose that whole foods demonstrate food matrix effects (nutrient-nutrient interactions) that creates a greater anabolic action on muscle beyond what amino acids can create alone. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the anabolic properties of consuming lipid-rich pork products when compared to their leaner counter-parts. Our working hypothesis that the ingestion of 84% or 96% lean ground pork condition will stimulate a greater increase in muscle protein synthesis rates compared to an isocaloric carbohydrate beverage in healthy adults. We further hypothesize that the ingestion of 84% lean pork will augment the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis rates to a greater extent than 96% lean ground pork. To achieve our objective, we will recruit 15 healthy men and women (20-50 y) to receive prime-constant infusions to directly measure muscle protein synthesis rates before and after treatment ingestion using our lab's established methods.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- This study will employ a semi-crossover model whereby participants will complete 2 of 3 conditions, each.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Low-Fat Pork | Active comparator | Other: 95.1% Lean PorkThis condition will consist of consuming 90.2 g of low-fat (4.90% crude fat) ground pork. |
| High-Fat Pork | Experimental | Other: 81.16% Lean PorkThis condition will consist of consuming 109.6 g of high-fat (18.84% crude fat) ground pork. |
| Carbohydrate Control | Placebo comparator | Other: Carbohydrate BeverageThis condition will consist of a carbohydrate beverage. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Age 20-50 yrs
- Pre-menopausal
- Recreationally active
- Weight stable for prior 6 months
Key exclusion criteria (27 listed)
- Age outside of range (20 - 50 yrs)
- Pregnancy
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Participation in previous research using [13C6]phenylalanine
- Participation in other ongoing research that interferes with this study (e.g., conflicting diet, activity interventions, etc.)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| 95.1% Lean PorkThis intervention will contain 120 kcals, 4.4 g fat, and 20 g protein from low-fat ground pork. | Other | Low-Fat Pork |
| 81.16% Lean PorkThis intervention will contain 266 kcals, 20.6 g fat, and 20 g protein from high-fat ground pork. | Other | High-Fat Pork |
| Carbohydrate BeverageThis intervention will contain 266 kcals and 73.3 g carbohydrate from a carbohydrate beverage. | Other | Carbohydrate Control |
Primary outcome
Myofibrillar Fractional Synthetic Rate
Time frame: During 5-hour post-prandial period following consumption of the study meal or beverage
Rate of building new protein in skeletal muscle contractile protein
4 secondary outcomes
Plasma Amino Acid Concentration
Time frame: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Free Fatty Acid Concentration
Time frame: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Insulin Concentration
Time frame: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Glucose Concentration
Time frame: During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jul 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40925524Zupancic Z, Askow AT, Barnes TM, Deutz MT, Ulanov AV, Dilger RN, Dilger AC, Willard JW, Mackenzie RW, Harseim JE, Hernandez-Saavedra D, Burd NA. Ingestion of a lipid-rich meat matrix blunts the postexercise increase of myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025 Nov;122(5):1252-1264. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.09.001. Epub 2025 Sep 7.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Nicholas A Burd, PhD principal investigator
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing 95.1% Lean Pork, 81.16% Lean Pork and Carbohydrate Beverage in people with Muscle Protein Synthesis, run by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 27 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jul 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Myofibrillar Fractional Synthetic Rate (time frame: During 5-hour post-prandial period following consumption of the study meal or beverage). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05876299, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jul 2025.